


Afterwards

by doritokeith



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: After War AU, Flashbacks, Future Fic, I'll tag more as it goes, M/M, Slow Burn, galra keith reveal, thats not even a tag
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-27
Updated: 2017-03-27
Packaged: 2018-10-11 12:03:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10464480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doritokeith/pseuds/doritokeith
Summary: Five years in space is a long time. Keith reminisces on some of the best (and worst) moments as he and the other members of Voltron head back to Earth for the second time. The first was a train wreck. But now? Now Keith has something to return to.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so this au has been in my head for months now. I'm so glad it finally got down on paper! It's been planned out pretty thoroughly so hopefully that means I'll be able to write/update fairly often.  
> Special thanks to my sis for proofreading this for me and encouraging me to keep going through all the writer's block.  
> Enjoy!

Keith ejects his helmet with a click and a sigh as they all trudge into the common area of the Castle of Lions. Hunk and Pidge aren’t too far behind him. They collapse on the couch beside each other, heads thrown back and helmets discarded. Keith joins them, albeit a bit further away.

Shiro, Allura, and Coran enter the room next. Allura’s shoulders are slouched and her expression is a mixture of exhaustion and annoyance. In contrast, Shiro keeps an alert stance despite being in the one place they can actually relax. His eyes are the only weak link, lazily opened and lacking his usual Proud Paladin spark.

“Good job today, Team.” Shiro says as he walks behind them and the couch. Keith can’t help but feel like he says it out of pity rather than honesty. The new alliance went a little rough at first, it almost always does now, but today was especially sour. Their leader kept questioning them and their intentions, acting as if Voltron was suspicious and didn’t just free the entire universe from a deadly, imperial empire. If Keith wasn’t so trained in keeping his mouth shut during these diplomatic meetings, he would have lost his cool not five minutes in. Shiro clamps a hand down on Hunk’s shoulder as he passes by the couch. “Get some rest, guys.”

Pidge pulls out a clear tablet and starts tapping something into it. “I think that was a fairly successful mission.”

“I mean we allied, so yeah. Mission accomplished. Woo hoo! Doesn’t mean they like us any better.” Hunk says. And it’s true. Keith distinctly remembers the suspicious glances he was given just for walking by. This civilization clearly just didn’t believe in their peacekeeping abilities. Which is fair, considering they’ve only just taken out the main Galra fleet a year ago and one year in Altean life spans is probably only equivalent to one Earth month. “Why are so many people against Voltron still?” Hunk’s expression shifts to a mixture of concern and frustration with furrowed brows. He holds his hands out in front of him as he continues. “Didn’t we just, like, free all of them from tyranny?”

Pidge pipes in without looking up from her tablet. “To many we probably seem like radical vigilantes who could potentially replace the Galra Empire once it has been destroyed.” There’s a glint of arrogance in her eyes as she adjusts her glasses and her mouth twists into a cocky smirk. “Which it has.”

“Pidge is right.” Allura says, standing before the couch to address them. Keith sits upright in her presence and catches Hunk and Pidge doing the same in his peripheral vision. “Which is why it’s so important for us to meet with these civilizations and show them the real Voltron.”

“Oh.” Hunk slouches in place. “Not that these aren’t super fun and all, but how many more peace treaties do we have to make?”

“Coran and I have been scouting other nearby planets and systems but haven’t found any other civilizations that require a personal conference.” She stands taller now, less of the exhaustion showing through. “I talked with Shiro about it earlier, and we’re still going to look into further systems, but we might take a breather for a few days to recollect. We have been pushing all three of you very hard these last few months with little down time.”

Keith tries not to read too much into what Allura is saying – or suggesting. The last time they took a so-called “break” from Voltron was a year ago. And none of them like to discuss it. It was more out of necessity than choice and it involved more arguing than they would have ever guessed. Returning to Earth was a dangerous mission that they all knew would have to be short-lived. Voltron was an integral part of who they were now. The universe needed them. For Keith, there was never anything on Earth to return to anyways, aside from his little shack in the desert. But now –

Pidge kicks Keith in the thigh. When he looks up, he notices Allura is staring at him, probably awaiting a response of some kind. He turns to Hunk and Pidge to ask what he missed, but they’re watching him too. “Uh, sorry, Princess.”

Allura’s shoulders drop like that wasn’t the response she wanted. Keith gets the odd sense that she’s pitying him. For what, he can’t tell. “Think about it, okay?”

“Yeah, sure.” He stutters out.

Once Allura leaves the room, Keith desperately looks to Pidge for an explanation. However, she talks to Hunk as if in the middle of a conversation. “I liked this alien race, though. Their buildings were like optical illusions.”

Keith tries to retrace their conversation for whatever he missed, but comes up short. Instead, he’s reminded of the one building with reflective panes that Shiro had walked right into and feels a smile curl his lips.

Hunk chuckles and adds, “And that one alien who blushed every time Allura looked at him.” Pidge starts nodding and laughing before Hunk even finishes his sentence. “I kind of felt bad for the guy.”

“What about the friend Coran made?” Keith suggests, recalling the little droid-like robot that kept bumping into him as it floated around the room.

“I want one of those!” Pidge says, eyes sparkling at the thought of the machine.

“Oh!” Hunk gestures with his hands. “And those weird things they kept as pets that looked like short deer but without antlers.”

Pidge shakes her head. “Those were so awkward!”

“Lance would have loved them.” Hunk adds without really thinking. Keith feels a sudden pang in his chest like his lungs were just punched. Beside him, Pidge shifts in place on the couch. They all go silent and let the lack of sound fill the room. Keith feels like he’s choking. “Sorry, guys.”

“It’s okay. We all miss him.” Pidge says.

Silence falls between them again. The tension in the room is suffocating with the refusal to mention the subject any further. Keith tries to stand as nonchalantly as possible. He can’t bring himself to face Hunk and Pidge even though they’re probably looking at him. The last thing he should be doing is hiding from the other paladins, but he can’t think about this right now. Pidge mutters something to Hunk under her breath – not in a snickering way, just talking. They’re probably worried. Keith’s not subtle, and one of the results of being in Voltron with Pidge and Hunk and Shiro for so long is how close they’ve all become.

“Keith,” Pidge speaks softly as if Keith’s a frightened animal.

“I’ve gotta go.” Keith knows they can read him perfectly. And that’s exactly what scares him the most. He can’t help practically running out of the room.

 

Keith hears the footsteps before the knock on the door. He knows who it is. Despite wanting to melt into the floor, this is the one person he’s actually willing to talk things out with.

Sure enough, when the door slides open it reveals Shiro’s concerned face. Normally, Keith would welcome the company, especially since Shiro has been here for him for years. However, the last thing Keith wants to do right now is talk. But Shiro knows him better than anyone else, and if Shiro thinks it’s time they discussed this weight that’s been lurking over his head then maybe it is time. That doesn’t mean Keith won’t do everything in his power to ignore it.

“Can I come in?” Shiro asks.

Keith wants to say no. He _really_ wants to say no. “Yeah, sure.”

He sits back on his bed, tries to get comfortable for the conversation he knows is coming. Shiro sits beside him wordlessly, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. His human hand comes up and drags through his hair as he breathes out an almost silent sigh. “Allura said you were acting strange earlier. Are you okay?” He asks first.

“Yeah, never better.” Keith says sarcastically. Shiro puffs a breath of laughter at that. Then it’s silent for another moment and Keith can feel the anger start up in his chest. It bubbles and burns and Keith wants it out. But it’s not at Shiro – it never is. It’s at the silence that Keith can’t seem to get away from – the silence that he hasn’t been able to shake for almost a year now.

“Really, though.” Shiro says, turning to face Keith this time. “How are you holding up? I know it’s been hard since-”

“I’m tired.” Keith cuts in. “I just need to sleep it off.”

“We both know that’s not the answer.” Shiro corrects, and he says it with that sharp tone that means they’re going to talk about this no matter how stubborn Keith is. It’s a familiar voice, one that Keith’s heard enough times to repeat to himself when he trains so hard he can’t think about anything but bruises and aches. The last thing he wants to do is talk it out. Even if it has been almost a year.

There’s a thud as Keith’s head falls back against the wall. “You’re not gonna let me get out of it this time.”

“Nope.” Shiro says, turning his head to glance at Keith who is, in truth, exhausted from pushing everything away. “Keith, it’s been so long since we discussed this; it’s not healthy for you to keep this up.”

“It’s not healthy to stress over it either.” Keith snaps back. He kind of regrets the snark in his voice, but Shiro knows him well enough to understand that it’s not directed at him.

Shiro frowns and twists so that he’s fully facing Keith. “Talking about it will make some of that stress go away. It’s your refusal to even think about the past that’s making you so exhausted.”

“I’m protecting myself.” Keith says.

“You’re hurting yourself.” Shiro corrects again. “Nothing that happened was your fault. You have to know that.” Keith draws his legs closer to his chest. It makes him feel like a child, but having his legs outstretched feels too relaxed for the topic. When he doesn’t respond for a long pause, Shiro tries again. “There are some things that we can’t control or even plan for.”

“But it is my fault.”

“Keith,”

“No, it is. It’s my fault he’s not with us. He should be here, going from planet to planet, meeting new species, new people.” His hands clench into fists as the anger reaches his fingertips.

There’s another break in their conversation. When Keith looks up from his spot in the corner of the bed, Shiro has turned away to stare intently at his Galra tech arm. “You know, I felt really bad about leaving you when I went to Kerberos.”

Keith cocks his head as he looks up. His legs relax from his chest and he sits up to see the side of Shiro’s face. “Really? But I was fine on my own.”

“But you shouldn’t have been alone.” Shiro says, hand flexing. “I know you, Keith. And I know that as much as you like being away from people, you also enjoy company.”

“It’s not like you had much of a choice.” Keith says. He moves to sit at the edge of the bed. “Besides, it was only for a year. I did fine.”

“But you didn’t deserve that loneliness.” Shiro sighs. He flips his metal hand to its backside and then over again before looking up. “You deserve happiness, Keith.”

Keith shies away from the eye contact. He fixes his vision down at his own hands, both human but calloused from years of training and fighting. “Even now? We’ve got Voltron and –”

“Especially now. You shouldn’t worry about Voltron. Sure, we’ve still got some post-war diplomacy to deal with, but that’s easily settled.” Shiro elbows Keith in the arm before continuing. “Do what makes you happy. Even if that means leaving Voltron. Everyone will understand. I promise.”

“But Shiro, I can’t just . . . _leave_. You guys are my family – the only thing I have left.”

“I don’t mean permanently. I’m just asking that you take a break, think things over.”

As much as Keith hates thinking about all of this, he knows Shiro is right. It would be good to get away from Voltron for a while and just think. And if there’s one thing Keith’s learned from all his time in space with this team it’s that they have his back no matter what. “Thanks, Shiro.”

Keith looks up as Shiro’s proud, dopey grin appears, accompanied by his famous shoulder grab that doesn’t quite shake Keith as much as it used to, but still offers the same amount of comfort. “Get some rest. We start our course for Earth tomorrow.”

 

* * *

 

_4 Years Ago_

 

Keith was walking behind Kolivan and Antok when he felt a sudden weight on his shoulder and pivoted his head to find Shiro standing beside him. “Can I talk to you, real quick?”

Keith nodded. He was grateful for any prolonging of what would surely be one of the most terrifying moments of his entire life.

When they were out of earshot from the team, and Shiro gave another glance around to make sure Pidge wasn’t behind him, Shiro spoke. “I’m assuming you’re planning on telling them?”

Keith deflated. “Yeah.” There was no going around this. The team had to know and if it didn’t come from Keith, they would never trust him.

Keith watched Shiro’s eyes fill with pity as he softly asked, “Do you want me to talk to them first?”

“No.” Keith said, squaring his shoulders and feigning a smile. “I have to be the one to tell them.”

Shiro didn’t fall for his false confidence. He never fell for any of Keith’s tricks. “Hey, Keith. I’m proud of you, okay? And I know they’ll be accepting if you just give them time.” Briefly, Keith felt like maybe this wouldn’t be as bad as he originally thought. Shiro must have sensed his shift in mood, for he smiled and brought Keith into a proud hug. When they broke apart he made sure to catch Keith’s eyes before adding, “But no matter what happens, I’ll always have your back.”

Keith sighed. This time the smile he felt pull his lips was genuine. “Thanks, Shiro.”

It wasn’t long before their fellow paladins were jumping at them. They barely made it through the Lion’s hangar without being questioned.

“What happened in there?” Lance asked with a mix of confusion and worry causing his voice to crack.

Pidge shoved her way past Lance to look between Keith and Shiro. “We saw Red attacking.”

“Yeah, did something, like, go wrong in there?” Hunk piped in with his elbows tucked and his hands curled over his chest. “Something bad?”

Allura stopped in the frame of the control room entrance. She looked Keith in the eyes as she spoke, “Yes, you two took much longer than anticipated. We were concerned something might have,” she paused for a brief second as her eyes glanced to the two Blade of Marmora members following behind them, “happened to you, Keith.”

Keith inhaled heavily. This was it. There was no avoiding the truth. He’d had very little time to ponder or prepare himself for what everyone’s responses would be when he told them. After he awoke the blade, they had immediately decided who was going back to the Castle with them and left to calm the Red Lion. Now, with everyone in the control room – which was definitely smaller than Keith remembered – and all eyes awaiting the _truth_ , every possible scenario flashed through his mind.

When Keith looked up to see Allura’s glare watching the other two Galra in the room, the situation hit him like a bus of anxiety. With all words stalling in his throat, he desperately looked to Shiro. Shiro must have been watching him – or at least noticed his silence – because his brows were raised with worry and he was giving Keith the same look he gave him not too long ago when Keith was collapsed on the floor of the trial room.

Something in Keith’s expression must have triggered Shiro’s protective instincts. He gave the slightest nod, turned to Allura, took a small step forward, and spoke.

He didn’t say much. His voice was quickly drowned out by another, deeper voice to Keith’s right. “Despite our explicit request, your fellow paladin brought a weapon along with him.” Kolivan said. “Specifically a blade.”

“Keith, you brought that stupid knife with you?” Lance questioned.

“It’s not stupid.” Keith and Kolivan said at the same time, though Keith definitely yelled it more aggressively. Lance’s eyes went wide and he took a step back to stand beside Hunk.

“This blade he brought with him was one of our own,” Kolivan said to Lance before returning his attention to Allura. Keith watched her stare down Kolivan with an alert and guarded stance. If she didn’t trust the leader of the Galra resistance, Keith doubted she would ever be able to trust him. “He sought knowledge of our organization and in order to attain that knowledge one must be tried in the trials of Marmora.”

“So you forced him through your trials for knowledge?” Allura asked, though it sounded more accusatory than questioning.

“Princess Allura, we did not force him. Your paladin chose to fight.”

Allura looked back at Keith for confirmation. He felt the weight of the situation fall on his shoulders under that terrifying stare.

Thankfully, Antok interrupted in his distorted tone. “And he was able to awaken the blade.”

“Wait,” Hunk drew out the word, his face twisting into a state of confusion, “what does that mean? Is that important? It sounds important.”

Keith half expected Kolivan or Antok to continue. However, when he looked at them, they had both turned to him. He had been secretly hoping that the two would give Allura and the paladins their whole secrecy spiel and ask Keith not to tell them what happened in the trials. But to Keith’s luck, they were giving him permission to tell everyone what knowledge he attained.

There was no escape. With a forced breath, Keith finally spoke. “I may not be all human.” He tried not to look at Allura as he continued. “I’d had the knife since I was on Earth. I had hoped the Blade of Marmora could explain what it meant or how I had one, so I brought it with me on our mission.” Keith forced himself to look everyone in the eye as he turned to address Hunk and the other paladins as well. “The blade could only be awoken by someone of Galra blood.”

They were all silent for what felt to Keith like an eternity. His heart raced in his chest, dying for an escape. For a moment, Keith actually considered running. _Anything_ would be better than the silence. He watched all of their reactions, hyper aware of every movement around him. He expected to see fear or hatred in their expressions, but although their eyes were all wide with surprise, none of them showed any obvious signs of fear. Allura was staring straight at him and hadn’t moved since he started talking, yet even she had a surprising lack of hate in her stare. They all mostly looked confused.

Keith cleared his throat and added, in case it wasn’t painfully clear, “I’m part Galra.”

The first to speak was Lance, as always. Keith was very grateful for the break in silence his loud, piercing voice gave. “You’re _what_?!” His voice cracked as he questioned, mouth agape.

Pidge and Hunk stared in equivalent states of noiseless awe.

The next to speak was Allura. Her voice was quieter and more careful. She seemed oddly calm, which only spiked Keith’s anxiety. “How long have you been hiding this from us?”

“Allura,” Shiro said before Keith could answer, “we just found out.”

“I’m not talking to you, Shiro.” Allura snapped. She fixed her attention back on Keith. “How long has he known?”

Keith inhaled shakily, planting his feet and willing himself to stay put instead of running. “I started suspecting back when we met Ulaz. I noticed a symbol on his blade that was identical to the one on mine. But I never knew I was part Galra until today.” Allura was staring him down as if any wrong move would be viewed as a threat. Keith turned to Kolivan who appeared to be watching him now too. “My mother must have been part of the Blade of Marmora and left me with it on Earth.”

The silence droned on as Keith tried to find a way to drop the conversation. Everyone was watching him and the situation was becoming more and more uncomfortable by the second.

Pidge broke the silence this time, moving a little closer as she asked, “I know you awoke the blade, but _how_ are you Galra?”

“I-” Keith looked down at his hands. The memories he was shown in the trials flashed through his mind. “I don’t know.”

Pidge kept talking, but it was more to herself than to Keith. “If the Galra knew about Earth, wouldn’t they have taken it over or destroyed it years ago?”

Keith shifted back to Allura, who still hadn’t moved. “All I know is that my mother was Galra and she was part of the Blade of Marmora, which is going to help us.”

“He is right, Princess.” Kolivan finally added back in. “We have limited time and must begin constructing a plan as soon as possible if we wish to stop Zarkon.”

Allura walked away without a word or even a nod. Keith tried to stay calm, to keep breathing and not show any signs of the obvious hurt. He started trudging back to hide by Shiro when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Hey.” It was Lance. His brows were bent upwards and a small, sympathetic smile marked his lips. Hunk and Pidge stood on either side of him with equally sympathetic expressions. Lance’s hand dropped from Keith’s shoulder as he spoke. “I’m sorry about the way I reacted.”

Keith froze. Lance was _apologizing_?

“Yeah,” Hunk cut in, “we just wanted to say that we don’t think any different of you. Now that you’re, uh, you know.”

Pidge added with a small smile, “Don’t worry too much about it, Keith. It’ll blow over. You’re still a paladin.”

Keith felt the start of a smile in his lips. “Thanks, guys. That means a lot.”

“No problem!” Pidge smirked. “Anything for a fellow arm.”

It took him a second to understand what Pidge meant, but then Keith was smiling. His teammates had his back. They always did. Keith kind of felt bad and wanted to apologize for ever doubting them, but the three were already leaving to change into their paladin armor so they could start preparations for the plan.

As they left to get their armor they began chatting about the Galra and Earth. Keith noticed Lance lingering behind them and not really adding to the conversation. Lance paused before stepping up to the door, letting Hunk and Pidge go on instead. Then he turned and slowly walked back to Keith.

“Just so you know,” Lance started, a hand going to scratch at his neck as his eyes looked everywhere but Keith’s, “you being Galra doesn’t change anything. We’ve still got your back.”

Keith blinked at the comfort. He and Lance rarely got along long enough to have a decent conversation, let alone comfort each other. Not that Keith was complaining. In fact, he liked this much better. It was with a small smile that he spoke. “Thanks, Lance.”

“I mean it. It’s just a lot to process.” They both looked to Allura, who was pulling up holograms of Zarkon’s ship onto the dashboard and pointedly avoiding the eyes of everyone else in the room. Even Shiro’s. “For all of us.” Keith doubted Allura would ever look at him the same ever again. Then Lance elbowed him in the side, pulling him from his depressed state. “This doesn’t change anything between us.” That got Keith’s attention. He couldn’t help the blush that colored his cheeks as he stared back at Lance’s cocky smile and soft blue eyes.

“What?”

“You’re still my rival,” Lance winked at him with that flashy smirk, “Galra or human.”

For the first time since this whole potentially being Galra thing came about, Keith felt a wave of reassurance wash over him. And for the first time in far too long, Keith felt safe.

“Thanks, Lance.”

 

* * *

 

_present_

 

It’s super late at night or maybe really early. Keith can never tell. The Castle of Lions doesn’t stay in the same place long enough to have a constant sun or moon cycle worth relating time to. And the watch-like objects they each received from that one alliance require a little more thought than a quick glance to determine the time. All Keith knows is that it’s really quiet and he’s supposed to be sleeping.

Instead, he’s wandering aimlessly about the halls of the Castle. There’s too much on his mind. Voltron, Earth, Lance.

 _Lance_.

The next corner brings him to stare down a long, empty hallway.

He starts jogging.

**Author's Note:**

> Lance is alive, I swear.  
> Also, each chapter will be written like this, with a section from the "present" and a flashback to a few years ago.
> 
> find me on tumblr! @doritokeith


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